Banana Pancake Trail
Photo: chadmoone, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Banana Pancake Trail is the name given to the well-trodden and constantly growing routes around Southeast Asia travelled by backpackers and other tourists. The trail has no clear definition but is used as a metaphor for places that are well-visited by mostly Western tourists who have left their mark on the local tourist industry, which has created restaurants, hotels and entertainment catering to these travellers' needs.
UnderstandThe term "Banana Pancake Trail" is usually used tongue-in-cheek as an affectionate nickname and in reference to routes connecting the many guesthouses, cafes and restaurants that serve banana pancakes as a form of sweet…
PrepareSee Tips for travel in developing countries and Tropical diseases for advice that applies to many of these countries.
Get inThere is no firm (geographic) definition of the Banana Pancake Trail, as it is a metaphor to describe the ever-developing travellers' trail going through many different places in Southeast Asia and the Indian…
GoWhile there's no official list of places along the trail, the term is used to describe, among others:
Stay safeDon't mix alcohol and motorbikes. Cover up and use sunscreen during the peak sun hours. Always use condoms if you are having sex with people you're not in a monogamous relationship with.
Go nextOne possibility is to head west to India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. See flying on a budget and the "Get in" sections of those country articles for transport options. Overland routes further west are more challenging.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Banana Pancake Trail" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: chadmoone, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons